Ahead of the 2017 general election, Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho was at the height of his political popularity.
It would be fair to say that besides President Uhuru Kenyatta, his deputy William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga, Joho was Kenya's fourth famous and popular politicians.
As a key critic of the Jubilee government, Joho has had many run-ins with the Uhuru administration. He had many public confrontations with the President and at one point, he was barred from attending the President's functions in Mombasa.
Yes, those were days when Joho was truly the "Sultan" of Coast region. Raila banked on him to deliver the region's votes and he never disappointed.
However the March 2018 handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga, Joho seems to have lost his steam.
The Uhuru-Raila handshake was followed by Uhuru-Uhuru-Joho handshake. Since then, the President and his erstwhile critic are now in good books. But has their political ceasefire neutralized him politically?
If the most recent survey by TIFA research company is anything to go by, then Joho could be losing his influence.
With President Kenyatta ranked as the most respected Kenyan, followed by former Prime Minister and Dr. Ruto in the second position, Joho never made the cut.
The Mombasa Governor has instead been overtaken by his Kakamega counterpart Wycliffe Oparanya.
Even Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko and Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang'i rank above him in the list that also includes musician King Kaka, marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge and industrialist Manu Chandaria.
Of late, the ODM deputy party leader has maintained an uncharacteristic political silence. Could this be the cause of his decline according to TIFA research?